AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 11

AMD Radeon RX Vega 8

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 is an integrated GPU for notebooks. It is used for the Ryzen 5 APUs, which were launched in the end of 2017. The GPU is based on the Vega architecture (5th generation GCN) and has 8 CUs (= 512 of the 704 shaders) clocked at up to 1100 MHz (Ryzen 5 2500U). The performance depends on the configured TDP (12-25 W at launch), the clocks, the cooling, and the memory configuration). The GPU should benefit from fast dual-channel DDR4-2400 RAM (contrary to DDR4-2133 single-channel, which is also possible).

The Vega architecture offers some improvements over the Polaris generation and now supports DirectX 12 Feature Level 12_1. More information is available in our dedicated article about the Raven Ridge architecture.

AMD's reference design GPU is sitting between the GeForce 940MX / Radeon Pro 450 and GeForce MX150 / Radeon Pro 555. It can handle smooth gameplay in simple titles like League of Legends (med), Dota 2 (low), Overwatch (low), CS:GO (med), and Quake Champions (high) in 720p up to 1080p according to AMD.

Thanks to the 14nm process and clever power-saving features, the power consumption is comparatively low (according to AMD), so the graphics card can also be used for slim and light notebooks.

AMD Radeon RX Vega 11

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is an integrated GPU in the Ryzen desktop APUs (e.g. Ryzen 5 2400G) that were launched early 2018. The graphics card is based on the Vega architecture (5th generation GCN) and has all 11 CUs (=704 shaders) clocked at up to 1240 MHz (Ryzen 5 2400G). The GPU benefits from fast dual-channel DDR4-2400 RAM (contrary to DDR4-2133 single-channel, which is also possible).

The Vega architecture offers some improvements over the Polaris generation and now supports DirectX 12 Feature Level 12_1. More information is available in our dedicated article about the Raven Ridge architecture.

According to a first 3DMark Fire Strike that was published by AMD, the Vega 11 offers a similiar theoretical performance as the older dedicated Radeon R9 M280X. In games the missing dedicated graphics memory may however prove to be a bottleneck. Therefore, modern and demanding games will only be playable in lowest settings and the APU is mostly intended for lower demanding games like Overwatch, Dota 2, ...

Thanks to the 14nm process and clever power-saving features, the power consumption is comparatively low. The high TDP of 65 Watt of the APU however should lead to a much higher power consumption compared to the mobile APUs with 15 Watt TDP.